Urban Animal Summit

I just returned from the Urban Animal Strategies 2014 Summit at Lake Louise Canada. What a wonderful event – something we (pet food consumer and pet lovers) need more of. The highlights and some of the life altering people that I met.

Fellow pet food consumer advocate Rodney Habib got me invited to this event (if you are not following Rodney on Facebook – you should be – he’s fabulous. Planet Paws Pet Essentials.). In fact, Rodney got me nominated for an award of Pet Owner of the Year from Urban Animal.

The Urban Animal Summit was mostly for Canadians. The event featured the pet related work of many rescue and shelter organizations, as well as several that work along side of ‘urban animals’ to make the world a better place. Day 1 of the Summit was meeting these people and learning of their work.

Each and every presentation was wonderful. Folks from Ontario SPCA shared information of their adoption campaigns. Boreal College shared of their shelter medicine program and collaborative work with the area SPCA. A dynamic special education teacher (of children) shared her work – Prince Street Puppy Project – of bringing dogs into the classroom assisting struggling children. There was information shared on projects to help financially challenged to pay for veterinary care of their pets, programs to teach dog park etiquette, programs to provide new pet owners basic information for better care, as well as information of a animal aquatic therapy pool that helps animals heal and recover from various disabilities.

But there was one presentation that touched us all. Medric Cousineau and his dog Thai. His organization – Paws Fur Thought provides service animals for those suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Medric approached the podium with his dog Thai beside him. As he explained his years of challenges due to PTSD, Thai began to tug her leash (held by Medric). You see she is trained to notice when Medric is becoming emotional and her job is to ‘pull’ Medric away from the stressful situation. He would try to settle Thai, and would begin to speak again. Again this gallant dog would tug on her leash, trying to pull Medric away from the situation – telling him ‘you need to stop – I’m trying to protect you’. Medric continued, though at this point the room knew. We knew that getting up in front of the room to share his story was a challenge for Medric. But he bravely continued.

He told us what help Thai provides him. She wakes him up from nightmares – often before they even begin. She allows him to go in public again, being by his side and protecting him from stressful situations. As Medric continued to share his story and his work to provide service dogs to others suffering from PTSD (everyone from veterans to sexual abuse victims), Thai continued to be concerned for her partner. She kept trying to pull Medric from this emotional situation. And when she jumped up with her feet on his back – trying to physically push him away from the stress – the entire room was in tears. We were so fortunate to witness first hand the love this dog has for her person – and the team that they are. (Please visit their website and their facebook page.)

My thanks to Rodney Habib for his help in getting me to this event – and to the Urban Animal Strategies folks who host such a powerful way to bring those that work with or for animals together.

And lastly – Rodney won the award for Communicator of the Year (well deserved!) and I am honored to say that I won the Pet Owner of the Year award (thank you, thank you, thank you for all that voted for me!). It is an award I don’t take lightly. It will be my continued goal to advocate for pet food consumers – we are just beginning to fight!

Comments 15

Susan, what a lovely post! Thank you for sharing information about some of the people and groups attending the summit. Also, a big congratulations to a most deserving guardian and person as the recipient of Pet Owner of the Year!

Thank you for such an inspiring article, and congratulations to such a well deserved award. Of course TAPF Fans can’t think of more important recognition than being honored as “Pet Owner of the Year” …. Go Susan!!!!

after two robberies at gunpoint in my store, I was dreading returning. I was fearful on the street, didn’t want to leave the house. Odin, my King Shepherd, now comes with me to the store when I work. He stays behind the counter with me, and hops up with his front paws to say hello to each and every person who comes in the store. He makes me feel safe, not alone.

One time, a man came in to the store, stopped just inside the door when he saw Odin, and when I asked if I could help him, he looked confused, said he was just looking around, then turned and left quickly. Four days later, he robbed one of my employees – again at gunpoint. Odin saved me. Unfortunately, the person who was working during that robbery did not have her dogs with her – she raises German Shepherds.

Odin has only growled twice in three years, both times at people he wanted away from me. I trust his judgement.

He, like the dog in the article, wakes me from nightmares and then lies up against me, comforting me and making my bad dreams go far way.

Because of him, I can leave the house, I can work at my store. I can sleep.

He is my partner. My friend. My room-mate. Without him, my life would be compromised.

Susan,
Congratulations on your award of “Pet Owner of the Year” from the Urban Animal Summit. I can think of no better pet owner than you, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the work you do so that we may all feed our four legged friends the best food possible.

Susan,
Like others that have congratulated you for “Pet Owner of the Year” award, I, also, want to do the same. Your persistence and determination to educate the public and fight for fairness and the heath of our pets is greatly appreciated by everyone who knows anything you have done (except, of course, the pet food industry).

Susan! It was an absolute pleasure to meet you at the Urban Animal Summit. You are correct, the attendees were mostly Canadian, but that is only because the Urban Animal Foundation was founded in Canada. It is our intention to stretch across North America and we are taking steps to make that happen. We are planning our first conference in the US for Spring 2015. Please keep watch and join us if you can. Let’s move this industry forward nationally, and eventually internationally!! An educated voice and forum for pets worldwide is the goal.

Susan, are you aware of this website: http://www.catinfo.org/ You two agree on so many things, but I do wish the 2 of you could visit and compare some notes because at times you contradict each other, and I don’t know which way to go. I just want to do the best for my pets that I can afford to do.

I have 2 problems with securing foods on your A-List. One won’t surprise you and that is the cost. I want to get the very best but I’m afraid I am just not going to be able to afford it.

Second is that I live in Arkansas, and even though I live and work in the central Arkansas area, including Little Rock, the foods I can get off of your A-List are limited. For example, there is only 1 store in North Little Rock that carries Nature’s Logic – if I order it, but does not have any in stock. She may be the only pet food carrier outside of PetSmart, come to think about it, for any of the foods I asked her if she carried.

I’ve got one I really need to get on a diet and she is a Kibble Queen. Is there a second-best set of options you might suggest if the A-List is beyond difficult to nearly impossible? And what about a lean brand for my “Garfield” kitty?

Finally, I have a husband and 3 cats I am desperately trying to rehabilitate. Last night the Kibble Queen looked so disappointed in the snack option she was being offered, and he’s ready to jump off the wagon. He’s of the philosophy, “if some is good, more is better” and he can’t stand to see the cats hungry. They’re not hungry. They’re addicted to the wrong kinds of foods and he’s an enabler!

Anyhow please visit the website, and maybe visit with the vet whose website it is. I think you may have a strong advocate for your cause and visa versa.

Congratulations, Susan. When I went online, for the first time, after my first cat died because I fed him Wellness, you gave me the hope that, if I ever got another cat, I might be able to keep this one safe. I have 4 cats now … cats are so amazing. I would have missed so much.

I save SO much money on cat food by buying on-line. So far I’ve only purchased items that don’t weigh much, Primal freeze-dried, and Stella and Chewy’s. I don’t know about shipping cost for cans, since I’d prefer they eat Primal.
If you can special order 1 or 2 cans/bags (raw-freeze dried) from the store in North Little Rock, to see what they will eat, at least until you order a case, lol then you can be more economical when ordering online.